Envelop-fastener.



5., E. HUSTED. ENVBLOB FASTENEE. AIPLIOATION FILED HAY 11, 1906.

Patented May 4, i909.

citizen of the-United States, 'residing at (.hi-`= cially, to

1 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.iutuisji-i. Hoeren, or oHieAoo, ILLINOIS.

No. 920,466.; i 'i cago, in the county of Cook an'd' State ol Illinois, have'invented ,a n'cw'a'nd useful lmprovement 'in -Envelop-Fasteners, of which the following is a specilication', i My object is to provide'meansol' in'iproved construction'for use in 'fastening down the flaps of 'envelops" in 'a manner,

permit'there'ady velopy for the inspection incre espcopening. ofthe enof contents as required, for example, inthe case of third class y locked, and the llap ol the envelop shown, presenting "inaterial, which may 'be leath l111g a loop-member, and the y with a short mail.

In `carrying out myA invention, 'I provide' the fastening means 'nrtwofparts' of flexible er or cloth, for example, but-preferably paper, one part beother bein f a slotted tongue-1neinher.-` loop-mem er is gunnned orp''tsted again's he surface of the envelop flap, and "the tongue-member is gummed or pasted against' the body ol' the envelop, the parts being'so 'attached and positioned thatto lock the flap tlietongue of the tongue-member maybe passed tl-u'ough the loop-member and thence into the slot of the tongueemeinber, which houses the end of. l the tongue and holds it with desired security. By preference, I provide the loop-member l projection, andthe tongue lwith an opening near its base to receive the prol jection and operate'as additional means lor preventing the tongue from being drawn through t e loop tol release its end from the slot of thetongue-piece and permit inadvertent unlockingI and opening of the ilap.

Referring to the drznving-Figure 1 is a perspective Viewv of the rear side of an envolop with my improvements applied thereto, and showing the parts in locked position;

Fig. 2, a similar view showing the paris unpartly Open; Fig. 3, an enlarged section taken on line 3 in Fig. 1 Figf 4, a l'ace View of the fastening members ol the preferred form; and

Fig. 5, a similar view of the fastening memersof a modiiicd forni.

The fastening members consist ol' a loopnece 6 and a tongue-nece 7. rl"he f are I e 3 preferably ot paper ol' desired t oughness. l The loop-piece may be ol' bifurcatcd form, as l the odge S at the base of the loop. The tongue-piece, or member, has a tongue 9, and may have aT or other shaped opening, as shown in Fig. 4, or be bil'urcated l ,l ISpei'zication of Letters Patent. ppnetion med may 11, 1906.

-, ENvELoP-FASTE'NER.

Patented May 4, 1909. serial No. 316,323.

as shown in Fig. slot 1() into which pose hereinafter' explained. The loop 1nen1- ber is gunnned or pasted tothe envelop lap I l to occupy the position indicated, that portion from the edge 8 tothe lower end bein left free or ungummed to permit the ready passage ofthe tongue through the loop. The

oily-portion of the tongue-piece is pasted or gummed to the envelop lbody in the position shown and in a manner to leave pocket below the slot I0 to receive the end portion of the tongue, as indicated.

rTo lock down the fla the tongue 9 is passed upward between t le lower part ol the loop-pii-sce and edge of the flap through the opening left by the ungummed space, and drawn throufh the loop and bent over the edge 8. lThe free end portion of the tongue is then passed through the housing pocket left behind the loop-piece, as described. The bending of the tongue over the edge 8, and the insertion'of its end into theslot 10, operates effectively to lock the parts together with desired security and hold the flap closed. Asarlditional security, the edge 8 may be provided with a projection 12, and an opening 13 may be provided at the base of the tongue, wl'lereby, when the tongue is bent over the edge 8, thc projection 12 will enter the opening 13 and prevent the tongue from slipping iIl'thO loop.

rlhe loop and'tongue members ol my improved envclop-fastener may be cut to present any desired shape7 so long as the essential features hereinafter claimed are present.

5, to produce a housing- 'lhe foregoing description relates more especially to the manner of ref-,fastening an envelop after it has been opened, as, for instance, for inspection purposes bythe postal authorities. ln the process ol manufacturing my fastener it is the practice to lasten together the two members of the l'astcnor and attach it to an envelop at one'end ol itsends" y'extend lips 10a, for a purslot 1() into the or peneilpress the end of the tongue through the seid tongue, snid lexible tongue. being the, slot und post the lips, whieh hitter immedizitel)Y spring hoek into platee und press atgtiinst the tongue. to hold it lirinly between them :tud the envelop. By so assembling the members :trehing otI the tongue withits eonsequent huehling is dispensed with :ind the tongue is nniintnined :it its lree end, :it :tll imes, in lhtt eondition.

\\'h;tt l eltiint :is new, und desire to seeure hy Letters Ptite-nt, is

l. The eonthimnion with tui envelop, olI menus l'or lot-king the lhtp to the hodv eontprising :i slotted member upon one sitid pztrt oli the envelop :tud it llexible member on the other `suid purt ol' the envelopprovided with it tongue und eontttining :tu elongated slot so slntped :is to permit the tongue, when inserted through the slot in seid 'lirst-intmed slotted member :nid bent hatt-k upon the.-

ntemher ettrrying it, to he llexed through sind lustonnned slot without huekling the tongue lengthwise thereof.

2. rlhe ,eonihintttion with :in envelop, olA

ineens l'or lof-hing the lhtp to the bod)P com? prising :L slotted member upon one sttid port olI the envelop, und :L lexihle member on the other smid port ot the envelop provided with :t tongue und eontitining u, slot so slntped :is to permit the tongue, when inserted through seid slotted member :ind heut hoek upon the lneinher eorl'ying it, to he pressed through the slot :ind post the sides thereol', l'or t te purpose set l'orth. v

I. "he t-.onthiinttion with :tu envelop, ol. Ineens l'or loelting the lhtp to the hotly, eontprising :t slotted nuniher upon one sttid purl. oll the envelop, n llexihle member on the other seid pzut oll the' envelop provided with :t tongue, slots in satid llexible equipped ineniher eonnnunieziting withv eiteh other :ind extending ttt :tpproxinnttely right :ingles to etteh othei und ztrrztnged trainsversely und longitudintilly, respeetitf'ely, ol'` tongut adapted to he inserted through t e slot of the seid lirst-numed member amd thence through the slotol' the tongutwquipped meniber, substuntiatll 'es described.

4. 'lhe eolnbinntion with un envelop, of ineens l'or loeking the lhtp to the body, comprising u slotted member upon one Suid part ol' the envelop, :i llexible member on the other sitid patri ol'. the envelop provided with :t tongue, u slot. in seid tongue-equipped member, und lips extending into sind slot, satid tongue heilig adapted to be passed through the slot of seid lrst-ntnned member vund thence through the slot in seid tongueequipped member to lie between the envelop :unl siiid lips, lor the purpose set forth.

.3, 'l`he eombilmtion with un envelop, oll menus l'or loeking the lhip to the body, Comprising u slotted member upon one seid part ol' the envelop, :t llexible member on the other sttid port ol' the envelop n'ovided with :t tongue und u slot, the tongue wing ndnpted to he inserted through the slot in seid irstminted member :tud hent hoek und inserted through the slot in seid other member, und interloeltine means intermediate the nml'ginul edges ot' tite, tongue, [or the purpose set forth.

o. An envelop'fastener comprising u inemher lmving at slot :rnd n. tongue projeetin f into the slot, und n set-ond member :rovidet with n. slot und it tongue extending rom seid.'

lust-minted member, seid seeond-nttmed member being provided with n second opening intermedinte the marginal edges el' the seid lust-'minted tongue. lor receiving the tongue on sit-id tirst-innned member when the l'itstener is in assembled eem-lition, for the purpose set l'orth.

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ln present-e of- A. U. '.lnonuxx, .l. ll. lmxnrzs 

